A Non-Official 2021 Recall Election Guide on Who NOT to Vote For
Updated to include Larry Elder....
When your mail-in ballot arrives in mid-August, what you must do is really simple. No hard choices will be asked of you. The ballot will look impressively large, but fear not. There are two questions, and you only need to answer one.
Question #1 asks if you think Gov. Gavin Newsom should be recalled. That should be a hard NO, even if you think he’s a corporate Democrat or worse.
Question #2 asks you to pick who you’d like to take his place from a long list consisting mostly of people you’ve never heard of and/or are losers. YOU CAN SKIP THIS ONE.
This year’s official list of candidates includes 21 Republicans, eight Democrats, one Libertarian, nine independents and two Green Party members. Ballots will start going out next month in the mail, with the official election date set for September 14.
For those readers who are not familiar with my work... I've been writing voter guides for the better part of a decade. I am unabashedly progressive and that flavors all my work. I'm also not very patient with jerks. Now you know.
The following list is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead may be coincidental. Void where prohibited. Batteries not included. Do not fold, spindle or mutilate. Your mileage may vary. Please do not sue me.
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Angelyne (No Party Preference) She has the key for California, or so she says.
She definitely had the key to Hollywood back in the 1980s, as a recording artist, bit player in numerous films, and the ultimate self-promoter back before the Kardassians were even a thing. Angelyne’s pink Corvette and billboard campaigns along with her obviously re-engineered body made her the talk of the town.
She’s a not very serious candidate, but she does have a platform, which is more than I can say for some of these other bozos. Some planks to remember:
CA shall implement an annual masquerade ball for people to dress up like a governor!
California will have a Bubble Bath Day.
Annually, there shall be UFO convention.
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Holly L Baade (Democrat) Single mother and a small business owner who says she wants to “...bring the fresh balanced perspective we have been waiting for in California...” And when Baade says balanced, she means it. Her platform is a tapestry of both sides-ism like you’ve never seen before. Unfortunately, she bases much of it on assumptions that don’t hold up under scrutiny, like *Critical Race Theory, which she says will be banned from school curriculum in favor of all the **facts of history.
*Not taught in schools. **Whose facts? Textbooks all make judgements about what’s important; the current default is to white heroes.
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David Bramante (Republican) A Los Angeles-based businessman operating at the junction of real estate and the internet.
Currently he is involved with an iBuyer start up based in Malibu Beach using algorithms and technology to buy and resell homes. His bio names two podcasts, but they appear to be inactive this year.
Thus far the campaign consists of an announcement saying he’s running.
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Heather Collins (Green Party)
Lives in Playa del Ray, owns a business called Killer Hair.
That’s all there is folks
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John H. Cox (Republican) He was the GOP’s nominee in 2018 and got his butt handed to him by Democrat Gavin Newsom. Why is he running again? Because he can; he’s an old white dude who’s rich and means to stay that way.
Having failed to get the kind of attention he wanted by touring with a doped up 1000 pound bear on a chain, Cox has gone to Plan B –touring with an eight foot tall ball of trash.
Cox is considered one of the leading candidates, even though he’s never won an election, either in California or Illinois
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John R. Drake (Democrat) From Ventura; immigrated from Riga, Latvia at an early age. Website touts his progressive values. Counts himself as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Has video up where he says “tell every corporate Democrat to fuck themselves…” har, har, har.
You know what? He’s right about corporate democrats and California. His timing really sucks. This election is about blocking the GOP agenda.
UPDATE: Larry Elder (Republican) Won his case on 7/21 to get placed on the ballot, despite the secretary of State saying his tax forms weren’t correctly submitted
Larry Elder (Republican) Conservative voters who can’t bring themselves to vote for any of the other big names on the recall ballot will now have a choice, since the radio talk show host has thrown his hat into the ring. He also has an authentic following (many candidates buy social media fans) on Twitter and Instagram.
The difference between Elder and some of the other candidates is that he’s built his brand on a platform of over 300 radio stations. In terms of issues, it’s the usual drivel, i.e., California is a failing state, criminals have taken over the streets, and teachers unions are probably doing unspeakable things to children.
Elder’s real selling point for the right is that he’s a black guy who doesn’t think racism is a big deal, which is pitch perfect for a party desperately trying to make Critical Race Theory into a boogeyman. “See? We’ve got Black friends…”
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Kevin Faulconer (Republican) – Mr Quid Pro Quo was Mayor of San Diego from 2014-2020; before that he was a City Councilman. He’s currently suing to have himself listed as “Retired Mayor” on the ballot.
The Recall Newsom campaign fits perfectly into his history of political advancement; all his advances politically have come via special elections.
He’s making a big deal out of his tenure as a Republican in a city with a Democratic City Council. The fact is Faulconer’s accomplishments were of two types: he was backed into a corner, or engaged in political sleight of hand.
His interest in the local unhoused population came about in the wake of nationally publicized outbreak of Hepatitis A; his long term policy was mostly about criminalizing and getting them out of the way prior to events that might hurt the city’s image.
Faulconer’s greatest failures came in the real estate realm. The current example (deserving of more attention!) involves an insanely bad deal to acquire an existing office building for housing city employees. It’s got incompetence and corruption oozing out all over, including a back room deal with a major campaign contributor, getting absolutely hosed on the price, an outbreak of asbestos contamination, and a kickback to a “volunteer” real estate consultant.
The former Mayor’s reaction to all this could best be described via Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Newman’s quote: “What, me worry?.”
The establishment part of the GOP, as represented by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and state GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson, are maneuvering to direct party support toward former Mayor Faulconer, who leads in polls and outside fundraising.
Look for the “burn it down” wing of the GOP to exercise their trademarked brand of nastiness should that happen. I’m willing to bet there will be death threats, nasty tweets, and promises to move to North Dakota if Kevin Faulconer gets an endorsement. After all, nothing woos uncommitted voters like infighting and childishness, right?
Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
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Rhonda Furin (Republican) Retired teacher riding the MAGA train. Ran for Congress (D45) in March 2020, placing seventh out of seven candidates for the seat currently held by Rep. Katie Porter. Promoted this summer’s right wing road show featuring Mike Lindell, General Michael Flynn, and Roger Stone along with a collection of covid restrictions “victims,” vaxxers, and conspiracists.
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Edward Moore Gaines (Republican) Former California legislator, currently on Board of Equalization (D1). I can only describe his political stances as vague. Vague as in, “yes renewable energy is nice, but cheaper is better.”
“I will overturn Prop. 47 [no doubt with his DonaldTrump brand sharpie] to make our cities, neighborhoods, and businesses safer. I will always support law enforcement, who are risking their lives to protect us and our property. Instead of defunding police, I’ll strive for “re-funding the police,” so they have the tools, training, and personnel needed to enforce our laws. I won’t take guns away from law-abiding citizens while putting 70,000 felons back on our streets.”
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Sam L Gallucci (Republican) Retired software developer, now senior pastor at Embrace! Church in Oxnard, CA. Founded ministries to help at-risk women and children, as well as migrant field workers.
He’s ready to Bring California Back from “the bottom of every list we want to be at the top of and we are at the top of every list we want to be at the bottom of.”
Campaign platform is vague, chock full of words like innovation and efficiency and on the short side with specifics going beyond we will solve this problem. Gallucci is that rare Republican candidate whose persona doesn’t project a bullshit macho attitude.
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James Hanink (No Party Preference) He’s running as an independent, but is a member of the American Solidarity Party, a “third way” effort modeling itself after Christian Democratic Parties.
What this means in practical terms is a strong anti-abortion position, accompaning vaguely liberal politics on most other issues, with undertones of Catholicism. Hanink has participated in debates sponsored by Yes California, the group pushing for Calexit, and written about Louis J. Marinelli at New Oxford Review.
“It [Calexit] was founded in 2015 by Louis J. Marinelli, a New Yorker living in Russia, and its efforts have been supported by the Russian government,” the Los Angeles Times reported in 2015.
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Jeffrey Hewitt (Libertarian) Ran and lost in races for legislative seats in 2014 & 2016. Was elected to the Board of Supervisors in Riverside County in 2018. He is considered to be one of the most prominently elected Libertarians in the country
From his campaign website:
While around California municipalities are failing, crushed by the weight of budgetary malfeasance, very poor management decisions, and corruption scandals. I represent “old school Californians” who still maintain social, community, and family values that made this the greatest state in the nation.
Family values, huh? City News Service
His tenure hasn’t been without controversy. Last month, a claim filed by a female county employee accusing Hewitt of sexual harassment was settled for $50,000. The claim was paid by the county.
In another claim, a former female staffer of Hewitt’s alleged that he made “disparaging and vulgar comments” and took part in age and gender discrimination. That claim is still pending.
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David Hillberg (Republican) An aircraft mechanic and actor from Fountain Valley.
I think he’s the same guy known for appearances in low budget films Hangar Rats (2009), and Aussie: Petrol Heads (2019). There is nothing I could find indicating his platform or reasons for running.
No web address
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Caitlyn Jenner (Republican) Media personality, socialite, retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete, and arguably the most famous openly transgender woman in the world.
She describes herself as socially liberal and fiscally conservative, and her association with the Republican Party has served to alienate many LGBTQ advocates. In 2018, she showed some interest in running for the US Senate, but ultimately didn’t file the paperwork.
Her candidacy for California’s top job hasn’t gone well. The campaign website started out as little more than a gift shop for candidate swag. At this point there are no endorsements to speak of, no statewide campaign staff or infrastructure, and no financial support via Jenner’s famed Kardashian family — whose joint wealth is estimated by Forbes at $2 billion.
She’s demonstrated a lack of knowledge about the state’s political processes, getting mocked on Twitter by Rep. Ted Lieu for not knowing that district attorneys in California are elected, not appointed by the governor.
Despite the lackluster campaign and polling showing her in fourth place among recall candidates, Jenner says she’s in the lead. She’s so confident about it that she’s off in Australia shooting a TV show.
Maybe her celebrity status will pay off. Maybe the other GOP candidates will run such nasty campaigns that voters will choose her as a less distasteful option. Maybe the trans haters in the GOP like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will change their minds.
Maybe the sun will rise in the west.
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Dan Kapelovitz (Green Party) Criminal defense lawyer who accepts collect calls from jail.
Prior to his legal career, he was features editor of Hustler Magazine. While at Hustler, he won the Project Censored Award for reporting on depleted uranium, and was the editorial point man for Larry Flynt’s First Amendment lawsuit against the Pentagon. He freelanced articles for numerous publications, including the LA Weekly, OC Weekly, Bizarre Magazine, Men’s Edge.
His issues are: Animal Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Decriminalize Drugs, Decriminalize Prostitution, Decriminalize Gambling, “Fourteen or Fight” – Lower the Voting Age to 14
“I am against the recall. However, I am running for governor in case the people do vote for the recall because I believe that I am the best choice to replace Governor Newsome if that comes to pass.”
Website |
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Kevin Kiley (Republican) Here he is, folks: the Real “Other” Kevin (there were actually five people named Kevin running). Or maybe we should call him the great white hope.
Assemblyman Kiley, should he be elected as governor, would be the nation’s youngest governor at 36, taking that title from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Assemblyman Kevin says he’s an admirer of DeSantis, in part because he never forced masks on the people unlike that meanie Newsom. (Florida currently has the second highest infection rate per 100K population in the US; California ranks 17th)
Kiley’s candidacy IS a breath of fresh air for the people who started the Recall Newsom movement; founder Orrin Heatlie and organizers Mike Netter showed up in 111 degree heat for the campaign kickoff.
The Assemblyman says he doesn’t view the other candidates as competition, saying they’re more like teammates because of the shared goal of a successful recall. This point of view fits in nicely with how some GOP strategists are looking at the recall election in that it’s not about having a big brand candidate so much as it is about having many candidates with many constituencies energized.
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Chauncy S. Killens (Republican) He’s pro-life, pro-natural marriage (no gays allowed), and ready to do spiritual battle with the pretenders and false prophets of Christianity. I’m pretty sure the forty plus right wing organizations listed on his website are just there because he likes them.
Killens went to Washington for the rallies on January 6th, but didn’t participate in any of the bad stuff that Republicans now say didn’t happen.
One of President Trump’s supporters from Southern California, Chauncy “Slim” Killens, said he started the day early and participated in many parts of the rallies scheduled. He experienced the first rally at The Ellipse, where President Trump later made an appearance. He later attended the rally on Capitol Grounds.
At the Capitol, Killens said he made his way to the front of the crowd until he got tear-gassed. He said then it was time to move away in order to relieve tensions and said he disapproved of any of the violence that took place Wednesday.
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Patrick Kilpatrick (Democrat) He’s an action film villain, with more than “170 films and television shows as lead actor, producer, screenwriter, director, and global entertainment teacher.” Titles you might know include Minority Report, Dark Angel, 24’, ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ and all versions of ‘CSI’.
I can find no information on why he’s running for governor. Maybe he’s just the badass who’ll take on all the GOP’s macho men.
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Jenny Rae La Roux (Republican) “It’s time to Free California.” Or at least that’s my first take on her website. She is a Republican, pro-business fiscal conservative who isn't advocating for Democrats to be shot on sight or sent to Cuba.
Aside from the usual mentions of lowering taxes and cutting anti-business regulations, her forte seems to be that she would have been smarter than Gov. Newsom when it comes to restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic.
My personal favorite among these solutions was the idea that schools could have been opened if they’d just had liability insurance. It’s ok, teach, if you get sick and die your survivors can file a claim...
I remember back in the days when Republicans at least faked having empathy.
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Steve Chavez Lodge (Republican) Is Caitlyn Jenner not your cup of tea? Looking for some celebrity glitz? Well here ya go; Steve is the fiancé of Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson. He says he wants to "Make California California again."
“Lodge spent his career as one of the top gang homicide detectives in the state, now he is going to fight for All Californians against the political gangs in Sacramento.”
“Only a tiny fraction of people become homeless after suffering an economic crisis,” Lodge says. So therefore, his answer is “replacing the state’s shuttered mental health hospitals by retrofitting jails or other facilities to both houses and treating the people who need it.”
See? It’s all their fault. The 50% of homeless women on the street who are there because of domestic abuse just need to sober up and learn to take a few punches, according to this line of thinking.
Lodge’s political experience consists of running for Anaheim city council and losing twice.
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Michael Loebs (No Party Preference) Actually, he’s an organizer with the California National Party, which isn’t listed on the ballot because not enough people support it. His day job is lecturing in the Political Science department at San Francisco State University,
The CNP is a social democratic entity and believes that California should peacefully and legally become its own country. They’re not the same as the CalExit group, which allegedly has ties to Russia.
A lot of thought has gone into the CNP’s worldview, and while they like the idea of separation, what they’re really getting at is a different view of the nation state arrangement currently in vogue around the world. My interpretation is that It’s a utopian view prioritizing local solutions working together with other groups to solve problems.
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David Lozano (Republican) is a lawyer and former LA County Deputy Sheriff.
He says the main reason he's running for Governor is to put an end to homelessness. His framework starts with temporary, then permanent housing, along with needed support services. Not bad for a Republican. But he seems to think his solution is simply a matter of grit and determination. (I wish)
He ran for Congress last year and lost. His website isn’t secure according to Chrome, but I visited anyway.
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Denis Lucey (No Party Preference) A teacher from Santa Rosa, maybe
No website, facebook, nada.
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Jeremiah ‘Jeremy’ Marciniak (No Party Preference) Owns a rental and car sales business
Didn’t ask for a Ballot Designation
No website, facebook, nada.
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Diego Martinez (Republican) Is a bail bondsman with the humblest of origins. Born in Uruguay, lived in a one room shack with no glass in the windows and no running water. One roll of French bread had to feed a family of 6 for a week. Moved to California, started working as a busboy at age 14, became head cook at 16. Became a US citizen in 2008.
Unfortunately, he’s not got much going in the empathy department. Thinks people are homeless because they want to be. Wants more mental hospitals and repurposed government buildings for the homeless -- that’s GOP code for round ‘em up & lock ‘em away.
“Additionally, every existing drug and needle dispensary throughout the state will be shut down. We can’t enable the homeless any longer. They will have a choice, shut down or convert to a health care or mental health facility for the homeless.”
His administration will work to achieve open or conceal carry statewide. Diego’s first step will be to repeal the background check on ammo and will eliminate the non-California gun list, allowing all guns to be sold in California again. Finally, Diego will support the overturning of the Assault weapons ban.
On the campaign trail, Martinez vows to widen freeways and triple logging to clear overgrown timber from power lines.
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Jacqueline McGowan (Democrat) Institutional Equity Derivatives Broker on Wall Street who jumped into the cannabis business as a consultant and lobbyist once legalization got underway in California.
Over-regulation and over-taxation in California’s legal market has resulted in a hostile business climate that has led to a market dominated by just a few large companies owned by out-of-state investors and an increase in suicides from longtime local operators. Most Californians are getting left behind. We can do better, which is why now is the time for the bold and brave leadership she offers. We deserve a robust and thriving regulated cannabis industry in California, as well as the community level economic benefits it has the potential to provide.
That’s why she’s running. There is no mention of any other issues Californians might be concerned about on her website.
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Daniel Mercuri (Republican) Starve the government, feed the people, says Mercuri, who ran for congress in 2020, placing ninth in a field of twelve. He’s another tough guy type, proud of his disgust for other, lesser, humans, like Democrats.
We are losing our Constitutional foundation to the Technocrats who are using the Socialistic, Marxist, and BLM movement to bring down our country one state at a time. Gavin Newsom is part of this threat. This is not conspiracy, it’s fact! And even if it were conspiracy, it doesn’t make it any less true.
He’s against mandatory vaccinations, the Federal Reserve, Red Flag Laws, and saying that climate change is real.
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David Moore (No Party Preference) He’s a public school teacher who also ran for US Senate in 2018, placing twenty-second in a primary field of thirty two. He was the candidate of the Socialist Equality Party, a Trotskyist group which runs candidates for office when it’s not engaged in feuds with other groups. Mostly these folks spend their days cranking out impossibly long analyses based on their self appointed status as the leaders of the working class.
I’m guessing these folks are so secure in their vision that things like a website or social media presence aren’t considered a necessary part of running for office, since the workers they lead will know who their candidates are.
No website, facebook, nada.
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Robert C. Newman II (Republican) Owns a small farm with field crops, raising goats, and producing eggs. In his former life, Newman earned a Doctorate in Psychology from the California school of Professional Psychology, San Diego.
He’s run for California’s top job a bunch of times dating back to at least 2010. This year’s campaign website starts off with a video of Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, one of the dirty dozen of vaccine misinformation. In case you missed it, she gained national fame recently thru testimony at the Ohio legislature about COVID-19 vaccines making people “magnetized.”
They can put a key on their forehead, it sticks. They can put spoons and forks all over them, and they can stick."
It goes downhill from there… I know the guy thinks he’s doing the right thing, but he lives in a different reality.
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Doug Ose (Republican) A three time congressman who honored a campaign promise to limit his service. In 2013, Ose decided enough was enough, and decided to run in his old district, losing by a few hundred votes to Democrat Ami Bera. He almost ran for California Governor in 2018, but backed out a month later.
My favorite Wikipedia entry:
In December 2003, Ose introduced a bill (H.R. 3687) to outlaw the broadcast of George Carlin's "seven dirty words", including "compound use (including hyphenated compounds) of such words and phrases with each other or with other words or phrases, and other grammatical forms of such words and phrases (including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms)". The bill omitted "tits", but included "asshole", which was not one of Carlin's original seven words. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution in January 2004, where it was tabled
Ose has had a hard time getting traction in the race, and has been demanding that the other big name candidates debate him.
Here’s a nifty quote from Times of San Diego:
Ose advised “everybody” to arm themselves, “get the training you need, and shoot back because the police will never get there in time if you’re in a situation or somebody comes to your business or your home and tries to do you harm.”
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Kevin Paffrath (Democrat) Is the YouTube celebrity in his race. His Meet Kevin channel started up in September 2010 and now has 1.7 million subscribers. It is, according to CNBC, his main source of income, despite a common assumption that Praffrath does well in real estate and the stock market. He’s got enough money to be able to offer cash giveaways at his rallies.
He has an ambitious 20 point plan, including housing all California’s homeless population in the first 60 days of his administration. Of course, these sorts of ambitions as expressed on campaign websites don’t factor in the reality of having to deal with the legislative branch of government.
Here’s where he loses me:
“Vaccines are a choice. Masks are a choice. Businesses shall have the right to remain OPEN — however, reasonable “HEPA-filtration” and ventilation requirements may be an option, but we will NOT have lockdowns again.
My “choice” is to have a government doing everything in its power to encourage institutions, businesses, and unions to get on board with shutting down The Stupid. You want to skip the jab and the mask? Fine. Just keep your expectations low. Real low.
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Adam Papagan (No Party Preference). He’s a regular guy running for Governor because the politicians, celebrities, and millionaires who normally run for office are out of touch with the issues that face everyday Californians. He ought to know, since his day job involves leading tours of pricey Hollywood neighborhoods.
That’s all well and good, except he isn’t sharing any ideas on how he’ll do all these things.
His Platform:Stop The Wildfires, End Homelessness, Decrease The Cost of Living, Tax Billionaires, Inform People About Government (He forgot to promise free ponies)
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Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato (Democrat) Another small business owner with a potpourri of ideas not based in reality. My faves: The pipeline to Canada for water, satellite prisons in Central America, and turning California into a giant sprinkler system to fight forest fires.
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Dennis Richter (No Party Preference) His paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office indicates he’s a retail worker. No website, no social media, no indication of any qualifications.
On a whim, I Googled his name + Socialist Workers Party and voila!
“Our party was not involved in the recall drive but we are jumping into this race to put forward a working-class view,” Richter said. “We’ll be raising the need for working-class action independent of both Republicans and Democrats and building solidarity with strikes and joining fights against cop brutality.” In the course of such struggles a movement and leadership can be forged to overturn capitalist rule and establish a workers and farmers government.”
The SWP is yet another Trotskyist relic, dating back to the 1920s. And no, saying it’s Trotskyist isn’t Red Baiting; it’s my way of saying they’re a certain flavor of delusional activists, more committed to writing excruciating critiques than actually doing the work.
No website, facebook, nada.
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Brandon M Ross (Democrat) He’s certainly upfront about who and what he is.
California needs a viable, moderate Democrat who understands comebacks to lead the way. As the pandemic persists, we need someone who knows the medical science and the law.
Mine is a comeback story. I built myself into a success, got hooked on drugs and lost everything. Then I conquered addiction and rose from the ashes to rebuild everything and more.
I am a native Californian born and raised in San Diego. I went to UC Davis and graduated with Highest Honors with a degree in Genetics. I attended medical school to become a doctor, while simultaneously attaining my Masters in Public Health and Masters in Business Administration. Next, I established a successful cosmetic surgery center. I had it all, including a family and three kids.
Then I lost everything after I got hooked on drugs, which started with an opiate addiction after taking narcotics for a back injury. My career, marriage, finances, friends, and custody of my children- GONE!
I entered a recovery program seven years ago and turned my life around. I graduated law school and rebuilt my medical practice better than before. I regained custody of my kids, have a wonderful family and a fulfilling life.
I run a charity that offers free cosmetic surgery to children following trauma and radiation treatments for brain tumors. I live a sober life and will make an excellent governor. If nothing else, I hope to at least be an inspiration to addicts and their families that addiction can be overcome.
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Major Singh (No Party Preference) His paperwork says he’s a software engineer. You’d think that would mean he could craft a website, maybe even join Twitter.
Here is what I found when I went to his website: “This domain was recently registered at Namecheap. Please check back later!”
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Sarah Stephens (Republican) Is a conservative activist pastor, originally from San Diego, now based in Riverside who wants to Make California Gold Again.
Her campaign is a mash up of various right wing assumptions and programs, starting with California going to hell in a handbasket and ending with vaccines being a choice.
Stephens gained some political traction via involvement with the “Redeeming America” tour, which organized rallies to protest public health measures during the peak periods of the pandemic.
She was a featured speaker at the ReAwaken America Tour rally in Anaheim recently, sharing the stage with Gen. Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, and the My Pillow guy.
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Denver Stoner (Republican) A Bear Valley public safety officer.
If you Google Denver Stoner, you’ll get page upon page of things to do while you’re buzzed in Colorado. But there is one article about how a deputy by that name found a (dead) missing hiker in 2012.
There is no website, or social media. I guess he’s just going for the 420 vote.
No website, facebook, nada.
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Joe M Symmon (Republican) Born-again Christian, born in Kenya. Ran for governor as a Democrat in 2010 and soon thereafter realized the error of his ways; the whole gay marraige thing was a non-starter for him.. Founded Faith Champions Church along with an orphanage.
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Anthony Trimino (Republican) An advertising and marketing executive who’s made the leap and is now CEO of his own company, based out of Irvine.
His expertise shows with the campaign website, which invites visitors to ‘Liberate California’ before it gets into the dark side of being a Republican.
I’m coming to wage war against those who have unlawfully taken our freedoms, abused their power and caused irreversible harm to California families and businesses.
This isn’t about a recall. It’s about a reckoning.
And of course…
https://twitter.com/Atrimino/status/1413887142829465604?s=20
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Joel Ventresca (Democrat) Retired San Francisco public employee. This will be his ninth attempt at getting elected, with races going back to 1977.
From what I can tell he leans toward the progressive side of being a Democrat. Unfortunately, that’s about it. His campaign website and Facebook page for this contest is actually left over from his 2019 mayoral attempt.
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Daniel Watts (Democrat) This isn’t his first stab at California’s top job. In 2003, while still a sophomore in college, he was among the pack running to replace then-Gov. Gray Davis. His single-issue platform consisted of “lower student fees,” and the campaign was funded through his winnings as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.
This time around, he’s running on the basis of his reputation as a Free Speech lawyer promising to address the ongoing assault on student’s first amendment rights on California campuses.
I suppose that’s a worthy cause, but am confused about how a campaign for Governor would solve this issue.
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Nicholas Wildstar (Republican)
Libertarian activist and musician running as a Republican. This is his fifth campaign for elected office, having run for governor in 2014 as an independent, in 2018 as a libertarian, along with running for mayor of Fresno in 2020 and city council (unclear about when) while living in Fullerton.
This year’s campaign is premised on the ‘tyranny’ unleashed by Gov. Newsom and those who would stand in the way of everybody’s ‘freedom’ to be infected with COVID-19.
While he makes the expected promises to eliminate taxes and regulations, Wildstar also calls for ending qualified immunity and mandatory liability insurance requirements for police officers. I’ll give Wildstar credit, he is one of the more entertaining (check his social media) candidates to research.
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Leo S Zacky (Republican)
His background includes being a vice president of the now defunct Zacky Farms, a family-owned poultry business.
As Governor of California, Leo Zacky will take a dumpster dive into the corruption, mismanagement and political agendas that are driving out thousands of businesses and will take a stand to make California truly great again. Like President Trump, Leo is not a career politician, he is a visionary businessman who has the determination and know how to get California back on track to meet its greatest potential.